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Table 1 The characteristics of all eligible participants

From: Association of low-carbohydrate-diet score and cognitive performance in older adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Variables

CERAD word learning subtest

AFT

DSST

Normal cognitive performance group (N = 1526)

Low cognitive performance group (N = 1011)

P

Normal cognitive performance group (N = 1517)

Low cognitive performance group (N = 1020)

P

Normal cognitive performance group (N = 1535)

Low cognitive performance group (N = 1002)

P

LCD score, Mean (S.E)

11.38 (0.23)

10.38 (0.29)

0.001

11.16 (0.23)

10.75 (0.36)

0.295

11.18 (0.24)

10.66 (0.34)

0.174

Carbohydrate intake score, Mean (S.E)

3.73 (0.11)

3.32 (0.14)

0.005

3.67 (0.11)

3.43 (0.16)

0.152

3.69 (0.11)

3.36 (0.15)

0.046

Fat intake score, Mean (S.E)

4.63 (0.11)

4.38 (0.15)

0.108

4.52 (0.10)

4.58 (0.16)

0.675

4.58 (0.11)

4.44 (0.16)

0.388

Protein intake score, Mean (S.E)

3.02 (0.10)

2.68 (0.14)

0.038

2.98 (0.09)

2.74 (0.13)

0.122

2.91 (0.09)

2.86 (0.14)

0.757

Gender, n (%)

  

0.865

  

 < 0.001

  

0.003

 Male

713 (46.09)

532 (46.49)

 

802 (49.97)

443 (39.23)

 

755 (48.96)

490 (40.16)

 

 Female

813 (53.91)

479 (53.51)

 

715 (50.03)

577 (60.77)

 

780 (51.04)

512 (59.84)

 

Age, years, Mean (S.E)

68.06 (0.21)

70.63 (0.37)

 < 0.001

68.43 (0.21)

70.03 (0.35)

 < 0.001

68.45 (0.21)

70.18 (0.37)

 < 0.001

Race, n (%)

  

0.255

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

 Mexican American

123 (2.80)

91 (3.70)

 

143 (3.12)

71 (3.13)

 

108 (2.27)

106 (5.02)

 

 Other Hispanic

141 (2.98)

108 (4.13)

 

147 (3.02)

102 (4.08)

 

109 (2.13)

140 (6.21)

 

 Non-Hispanic White

743 (81.45)

526 (80.41)

 

806 (83.69)

463 (76.17)

 

846 (84.58)

423 (73.27)

 

 Non-Hispanic Black

370 (7.84)

222 (7.83)

 

304 (6.08)

288 (11.14)

 

306 (5.84)

286 (12.29)

 

 Other Race: Including Multi-Racial

149 (4.93)

64 (3.93)

 

117 (4.09)

96 (5.48)

 

166 (5.18)

47 (3.22)

 

Education, n (%)

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

 Less than high school

269 (10.33)

339 (23.47)

 

283 (10.84)

325 (23.01)

 

185 (8.54)

423 (29.61)

 

 High school and above

1257 (89.67)

672 (76.53)

 

1234 (89.16)

695 (76.99)

 

1350 (91.46)

579 (70.39)

 

Marital status, n (%)

  

0.008

  

0.007

  

 < 0.001

 Married

870 (65.58)

544 (59.55)

 

876 (65.64)

538 (59.22)

 

917 (67.10)

497 (55.16)

 

 Divorced

244 (13.72)

226 (19.65)

 

243 (13.71)

227 (19.89)

 

235 (13.23)

235 (21.71)

 

 Separated

249 (13.25)

125 (11.92)

 

226 (12.79)

148 (12.74)

 

228 (12.57)

146 (13.21)

 

Othera

163 (7.45)

116 (8.88)

 

172 (7.87)

107 (8.15)

 

155 (7.09)

124 (9.92)

 

 Household income, $, Mean (S.E)

48,459.93 (1147.74)

40,649.94 (1155.73)

 < 0.001

48,165.23 (1176.77)

40,912.60 (1118.19)

 < 0.001

48,623.77 (1220.00)

39,005.55 (1162.59)

 < 0.001

 BMI, kg/m2, Mean (S.E)

28.95 (0.24)

29.38 (0.31)

0.125

28.85 (0.21)

29.59 (0.36)

0.023

28.83 (0.24)

29.71 (0.38)

0.039

 Waistline, cm, Mean (S.E)

101.99 (0.61)

103.49 (0.84)

0.102

102.22 (0.53)

103.13 (0.90)

0.272

102.11 (0.61)

103.50 (1.00)

0.211

Diabetes, n (%)

  

0.037

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

 Yes

322 (17.39)

260 (21.94)

 

309 (16.47)

273 (23.84)

 

291 (16.01)

291 (25.76)

 

 No

1132 (78.47)

705 (73.74)

 

1133 (79.24)

704 (72.11)

 

1169 (79.81)

668 (69.99)

 

 Borderline

72 (4.14)

46 (4.32)

 

75 (4.28)

43 (4.05)

 

75 (4.18)

43 (4.25)

 

Hypertension, n (%)

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

 Yes

902 (53.11)

676 (66.66)

 

875 (53.72)

703 (66.02)

 

889 (52.99)

689 (69.15)

 

 No

624 (46.89)

335 (33.34)

 

642 (46.28)

317 (33.98)

 

646 (47.01)

313 (30.85)

 

Congestive heart failure, n (%)

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

 Yes

71 (4.22)

102 (10.60)

 

77 (4.61)

96 (10.10)

 

74 (4.51)

99 (11.00)

 

 No

1455 (95.78)

909 (89.40)

 

1440 (95.39)

924 (89.90)

 

1461 (95.49)

903 (89.00)

 

Coronary heart disease, n (%)

  

0.003

  

0.036

  

0.052

 Yes

113 (7.56)

120 (13.12)

 

125 (8.40)

108 (11.76)

 

127 (8.47)

106 (12.00)

 

 No

1413 (92.44)

891 (86.88)

 

1392 (91.60)

912 (88.24)

 

1408 (91.53)

896 (88.00)

 

Heart disease, n (%)

  

 < 0.001

  

0.040

  

 < 0.001

 Yes

120 (7.41)

100 (10.92)

 

122 (7.82)

98 (10.29)

 

110 (7.23)

110 (11.90)

 

 No

1406 (92.59)

911 (89.08)

 

1395 (92.18)

922 (89.71)

 

1425 (92.77)

892 (88.10)

 

Stroke, n (%)

  

 < 0.001

  

0.005

  

 < 0.001

 Yes

75 (4.73)

91 (7.97)

 

73 (4.83)

93 (7.91)

 

66 (4.31)

100 (9.44)

 

 No

1451 (95.27)

920 (92.03)

 

1444 (95.17)

927 (92.09)

 

1469 (95.69)

902 (90.56)

 

Magnesium, mg, Mean (S.E)

305.39 (6.22)

269.36 (5.16)

 < 0.001

303.64 (5.88)

266.84 (6.86)

 < 0.001

306.24 (6.48)

264.74 (5.46)

 < 0.001

Calcium, mg, Mean (S.E)

915.89 (20.49)

858.58 (20.75)

0.029

912.27 (20.29)

858.26 (24.52)

0.081

914.23 (20.80)

861.38 (24.13)

0.087

Vitamin D, mcg, Mean (S.E)

5.05 (0.17)

4.84 (0.22)

0.511

5.00 (0.14)

5.00 (0.31)

0.994

4.98 (0.17)

5.07 (0.28)

0.803

Psychotropic medication, n (%)

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

  

 < 0.001

 No

1346 (99.79)

777 (97.76)

 

1318 (99.78)

805 (97.75)

 

1346 (99.75)

777 (97.51)

 

 Yes

3 (0.21)

16 (2.24)

 

2 (0.22)

17 (2.25)

 

4 (0.25)

15 (2.49)

 
  1. Note: Othera, represents widowed, never married and living with partner; BMI Body mass index, CERAD, Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease, AFT Animal Fluency Test, DSST Digit Symbol Substitution Test